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When you think about it, RTS games are a bit like roguelikes, in that each mission is a chance to start fresh from nothing. Recruit workers, plant down buildings, and expand as you scout out threats and decide how best to counter them. Rogue Command takes things one step further, imbuing the classic real-time strategy of games like Command and Conquer with a roguelike progression of buildings, units, and upgrades in place of a traditional tech tree. Now, developer Feneq reveals the Rogue Command release date – and you can even jump in now thanks to a free Steam demo.
At a glance, Rogue Command takes me back to those glory days of classic Command and Conquer, or to even more of the best RTS games from my past such as Z Steel Soldiers and Total Annihilation. Yet it boasts a progression that much more closely resembles that of games like Slay the Spire. You path your way through a network of encounters, upgrade stations, and repair stops. Each victory offers a choice between three new factories, units, upgrades, super weapons, and so on, allowing you to dynamically round out your army’s potential as you progress.
Immediately, that snatches away the comforting safety net of early-game build orders. You’ll have to work with what you’ve got, and that means being creative but it can also lead to some surprising and powerful combinations. Rogue Command also offers plenty of tactical opportunities. Lure your enemies into fog and slow them to a crawl; engage flame-wielding foes during a fire-quenching rainstorm; detonate static bushes to disable passing units.
Perhaps this sounds interesting but you’re a player who gets quickly overwhelmed by the sheer, relentless pace of RTS games. Never fear; in Rogue Command a simple button press slows down time to 10% speed. That gives you the ability to make critical mid-fight repositions or ensure you’ve got all your build orders in place while the action trundles on, effectively allowing anyone to feel like they’ve got the APM of a StarCraft pro player.
With more than 100 different blueprints to unlock and over 20 map types, each featuring distinct events, hazards, and potential hidden technologies, there’s already an incredible amount to uncover in the early access launch of Rogue Command. And, like all the best roguelikes, that first win is just the start, with increasing levels of challenge available to push your leadership abilities to their limits.
Rogue Command launches via Steam Early Access Monday November 18. You can wishlist it if you want to be notified when it arrives – or download the free Steam demo to try it out now. Feneq plans the early access period to last for “up to a year,” during which time it aims to “approximately double” the list of cards, upgrades, and starters, along with a larger pool of enemy and mission types, more meta-progression, and some secret extras.
Looking for more ways to test your tactical prowess? The best strategy games are the perfect place to play; or perhaps peruse the best management games on PC right now instead.
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